Publicly accessible IP networks and associated networks services have been a boon to users and businesses alike by placing users in communication with not only other users, but also commercial goods and services. Web applications have evolved from basic content delivery mechanisms into productivity tools and as a means for application integration across the corporation enterprise. No longer is it a requirement that individuals travel to face-to-face meetings to obtain meaningful collaboration. This capability is particularly useful for inter-corporate communications. However, the ability to accommodate such user access becomes more complicated.
A way for allowing businesses to directly provide services for customers registered at other (partner) businesses or institutions is federation. Within a federation of services, a business can get trusted information about a user from the user's home organization (or information-providing service). The business does not need to register and maintain that user's identity, and the user is spared from having to register and remember a new login information order to interact with the business. Thus, a user can seamlessly traverse different websites within partner organizations based on a single sign-on. For example, consider Company A and Company B which may have a business relationship but that the level of trust for data access should be managed. It is desired that each person in Company A should not have access to Company B documents, and vice versa. However, there are instances where employees of the companies may need to collaborate. In other words, it is commonplace for an employee of Company A to have a working relationship with an employee of Company B. Because of the trust relationships developed between federation participants, a participant is able to authenticate a user, and then act as an issuing party for that user thereby making other federation participants relying parties.
However, it is undesirable for a corporation to have to devote the human resources to allow discriminatory access by an outside entity to internal networks because it not only complicates the management of information but can potentially provide a means of unauthorized or even inadvertent access to company data.